


ret'urcye mhi (maybe we'll meet again)

by nota_ghost



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: ???? - Freeform, Accidental Grogu | Baby Yoda Acquisition, Canon-Typical Violence, First Meetings, Gen, Grogu | Baby Yoda Being a Little Shit, I WILL ADD TAGS AS NEEDED, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm not sure how to tag this, Meet-Cute, Nonbinary Character, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Slow Burn, the teen rating is for language thats it, we die like warriors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28578159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nota_ghost/pseuds/nota_ghost
Summary: All Xixi wants to do is lay low, avoid being caught, and maybe have some fun along the way. They're managing quite well -  that is, until some Mandalorian and his wrinkly toddler decide to crash the party.-Or, how Din Djarin acquires an occasional babysitter, a partner in (not) crime, a target, a friend and maybe even a lover - though not necessarily in that order.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda, Din Djarin & Original Character(s), Din Djarin/Original Character(s), Grogu | Baby Yoda & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. The Child

**Author's Note:**

> just so you know, xixi is pronounced zee zee :)  
> and if you're curious, [here](https://more-like-peter-parkour.tumblr.com/post/639508370780520448/this-is-my-oc-xixi-they-have-a-sort-of-death) is what they look like

Xixi adjusted the scarf covering their face as they roamed the dusty, bustling streets of... well, whatever planet they've ended up on now. It was terribly hot underneath their whole hideaway look, but it worked. Whatever hid their pink skin and weird ears would be good in their book. 

Normally, they wouldn't cover up like this - they were practically made to be seen, after all - but recently they caught wind of several Not So Good People looking for them (who knows why, so many reasons and who has the time to count them?) so they've been laying low for a while. 

Currently, they've stopped for some supplies while they wait to proceed to the rendezvous point with a few old friends. Friends that can, if not get those Not So Good People off their back, at the very least help them hide until the hype dies down.

Their black eyes scanned the market, only looking slightly out of place covered in plain fabric and poorly concealed weapons. Many people were bustling about, bartering for wares and generally trying to rip off unsuspecting visitors. 

Several street food vendors sent fragrances through the air that made their mouth water. Xixi briefly entertained the thought of indulging themself, but was held back by the quite miserable amount of credits in their possession. Tragic, really - expensive tastes can never be quenched, but unfortunately, their story is one of riches to rags.

They sighed, walking up to a booth selling ration bars and drinkable water at a seemingly fair price. 

They would KILL for a shower right now, the dust from the streets getting under their clothes and sticking to the sweat from this stupid desert planet. Unfortunately for them, any record of being anywhere is off the table. Which means no inns. Not that this shitty planet would likely have any decent showers, anyways.

Xixi is just handing over their credits when they feel something barrel into them. Something tiny, actually, and undoubtedly light. Turning around, they are quite surprised when it turns out to be.... a child? At least, they think it's a kid. Kinda wrinkly for a little one, but who's judging? Anyways, the kid is looking up at them with a look of what can only be described as _lost_. They quickly turned back around to finish their transaction, with a polite "thank you" to the vendor as she hands over their purchase.

Eyes darting around their surroundings, they crouch down in front of the kid. It’s green and wrinkly, with big brown eyes and even bigger ears, and dressed in a little robe that it somehow drowns in. Kinda cute, actually.

“Hey kid,” Xixi says softly, which surprises even them. “You lost?”

The kid (Xixi will call him Wrinkles, for now) lets out an affirming “Bwah!” so Xixi takes that as a yes. They once again look around the market, keeping an eye out for any frantic looking parents (especially green ones) but it seems there’s nobody that fits the bill.

“Well, Wrinkles, I don’t see any panicked parents.”

Wrinkles, evidently understanding them, looks around as well. He seems to come up with nothing either, judging by the disappointed “bah”.

“Well, I don’t know much about kids, but I’m sure you must be scared. How about we look together?”

Saying they don’t know much about kids is an understatement. They hardly had any friends growing up, and their parents were no example of how to interact with a child. They just drew from what they saw and hoped for the best.

Evidently it was the right thing to say, as the child gave an excited noise and made grabby hands to be picked up.

Xixi sighed, having no idea how to properly hold a toddler, but gave in anyways.

“Alright, kiddo, where to first?”

And on they went, on their wild goose chase to hopefully reunite a wrinkly toddler with whoever was his caretaker.

-

Just as Xixi thought this was getting damn ridiculous, considering finding the nearest authority and dropping the kid off there so they could HOPEFULLY make it to rendezvous in time, Wrinkles started getting excited.

“Hey, I already gave you a bar, you can’t be hungry AGAIN-” before realizing that wasn’t what the kid was wiggling for.

He was babbling and pointing excitedly to the distance in front of them, seemingly seeing something Xixi didn’t.

They looked around, trying to find what the kid was pointing for, but nothing seemed to fit the bill - until they heard someone calling out for a kid.

Finally, they realized what - or rather who - the kid was pointing at.

The Mandalorian was tall, though likely not much taller than Xixi, and currently asking a vendor if they had seen a tiny green child. Now THAT fit the bill.

“Is that your dad, Wrinkles?” Xixi asked, looking down at the kid. He squealed happily, waving his hands, so they took it as an overwhelming yes.

They walked closer, trying to figure out the best way to approach this. Should they walk right up to him, tap him on the shoulder? Judging by the NUMEROUS weapons on his person, something told them that wasn’t the best idea. (Not to mention he was likely a bounty hunter, which means they should really be running the other direction as fast as possible). Should they just put the kid down and hope he makes his way over? No, that would run the risk of the tiny scamp getting trampled.

They stood there for several seconds, trying to make up their mind, but it seemed the decision had been made for them.

Xixi was, quite honestly, shocked at how fast the Mandalorian had a blaster pointed at them. It seemed like as soon as he turned his head, the blaster was in his hand. Damn, they wish they had those reflexes, holy shit.

Anyways, back to the current problem. Blaster in face. Yes, bad. Very bad. Shit.

“Put. Him. Down.” The Mandalorian ground out, and honestly, his voice was hot. Not enough to override the danger IN THEIR FACE, but Xixi could get into that.

“Okay, okay! Just don’t shoot me, hate to traumatise Wrinkles here.” They said, slowly setting the kid on the ground. A few people (more like a sizable crowd) in the market were staring.

Wrinkles looked back at them before letting out another excited squeal and running for the Mandalorian’s legs. He quickly glanced down, making sure the kid was not visibly harmed, before turning his attention back to the alien in front of him.

“Why did you have him?” He questioned, not lowering his blaster a bit.

“Well, maybe ask HIM that, considering HE ran into ME.” Xixi said, crossing their arms. It was true, not their fault some strange baby decided to adopt them as it’s knight in shining armor.

The Mandalorian once again looked down at the kid, who grinned knowingly. He lowered his blaster slightly.

“And anyways, he’s TINY. I couldn’t just leave him there, kid would get trampled! And I was helping him to find you.”

The Mandalorian seemed to believe them, as he finally lowered his blaster and leaned down to pick the child up.

“In that case, thank you. For helping him.”

“And not letting him get trampled.”

“...and not letting him get trampled. Thank you.”

Xixi grinned, though he wouldn’t be able to see it under the mask. They heard a ding in their earpiece, signaling it was time to go.

“Yeah, well, don’t lose him next time.”

And with that, they disappeared into the crowd.


	2. The Bounty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone who has checked this fic out, it means a lot to me! chapter two started out as kind of hard to write, but im proud of it in the end :)
> 
> theres a fight scene up ahead, and i listened to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pfMiMdehaw) while writing so if you wanna listen while reading that'd be great :)

Din began walking back to the Razor Crest, the kid safely in his arms once again. Nothing could truly express the panic he had felt when the kid had wandered off; he was staying in the carrier or in Din’s arms from now on.

Because, honestly, the mystery person that returned the kid to him (unharmed, thank whatever higher powers there may be) had a point. He was tiny. Incredibly easy to get trampled.

Almost as if he could tell what Din was thinking, the kid turned to look up at him with a smile and a soft “bah”.

It was known that the kid was a very good judge of character, so the fact he even stuck around with that person showed a lot. And the fact he seemed to _like_ them was sort of surprising, too.

“They were nice to you, huh kid?” Din said, a hint of a smile in his voice. He wasn’t blind to the danger of a market like that; would have been easy for a bounty hunter, or _any_ bad person to pick up the kid and be on their merry way. And there were plenty of bad people in a place like that.

The kid must have understood him, because he immediately started babbling happily, almost as if to tell Din all about what happened.

“Well, I’m glad they grabbed you and not someone else. And that you didn’t get trampled.”

-

With the ship fueled up, Din was free to continue on to the next planet where he could continue his search for other Mandalorians. He was desperate, at this point. Every lead he’s had so far has turned out to be either fake or a trap. He just wanted one possible good lead.

So when he was contacted by someone who claimed to have information on where to find more Mandalorians, he was cautiously optimistic. Their initial claims and credentials seemed to check out, so he headed out to the small but crowded city planet the contact was located on.

Din really wasn’t a fan of cities, in general, so to be on a planet that was mostly city was not the most joyful experience in the galaxy. However, if this could truly be a lead on where to find others of his kind, it would be at least worth a try.

Once he had his ship docked and secured, with the hangar spot paid for (unfortunately expensive, but the contact said it will be taken care of as forward payment) he began heading to the location the contact said they would meet him in.

It was, he realized a little too late, a seedy lounge in the city’s underground. He made a conscious effort to make sure the kid stayed securely hidden. Cities made him nervous.

Din sighed and ducked into the neon space. Everyone was drinking, some dancing, and plenty making shady business deals, not too dissimilar to his.

He scanned the area, spotting his contact sitting in a booth in the corner.

She was a purple Twi’lek, with intricate golden makeup and jewelry. Obviously wealthy and quite powerful.

Din went toward her, noting his surroundings the whole time. Plenty gave him strange looks, but many also merely glanced and went back to their business. Many people come through here, then.

“Ah, Mandalorian!" The Twi’lek smiled as Din sat across from her in the booth. She had a glass of what looked to be… glowing wine? In her hand, which was also adorned with plenty of rings and bracelets on her wrist.

“So, I heard you’re looking for Mandalorians.”

Something about her was unsettling, and Din has dealt with plenty of unsettling people in his lifetime.

“That’s right. I was told you might have some information.”

The Twi’lek smiled once more.

“That’s right, I do. But… well, in exchange for the information, I first need a small favor.”

Din internally sighed, wondering what inane thing he’ll be tasked with this time.

“You see, there’s someone I know that’s… pissed off the wrong people. Including me. I need them brought to me, as soon as possible.”

She reached under the table, and Din automatically put his hand on his blaster. He relaxed when she presented a holopuck.

Taking it and turning it on, he saw a pink-tinted face with large black eyes staring back at him. 

“No fob?”

The Twi’lek smiled again - really, she smiled _way_ too much and not in a good way - and sighed slightly.

“Unfortunately, this is all we have, aside from their last reported location. There are others looking for this person, and we must remain as discreet as possible to secure the quarry before my rivals can get their hands on them.”

Din once again internally sighed. Was this really worth it? Glancing down at the kid, safely hidden and napping in his little sack, he had the feeling it was.

“Okay, fine. What’s the last location?”

“Good news for that, at least! They were reportedly seen not too far from here. The coordinates are on the puck. I should warn you, though, they are known for being… slippery. Don’t let them disappear.”

Din nodded, checking the puck. He could do this.

The Twi’lek opened her mouth one more time.

“Oh, and by the way, their name is Xixi.”

-

Din headed out, taking a speeder to the location on the puck. (He still doesn’t like droids, but on a planet like this there is no alternative)

The kid had his head poked out of his satchel, looking with wonder at all the lights and people. There was considerable traffic in the lanes above, so he chose to ride below to save some time. The sooner he found this ‘Xixi’ the sooner he could get his information and leave.

The droid beeped as it neared the station, giving him an automated “have a good day” before speeding off once again.

Din sighed, scanning the speeder platform before looking back at the holopuck. Something about those eyes...

He pushed the thought away. Plenty of species had large black eyes, it was nothing more than a coincidence that whoever returned the kid to him happened to have the same.

“Well, kid, we don’t have all day.”

The kid looked up at him with an excited “bwah” and a smile.

“This might be dangerous. I want you to stay in the satchel, and keep your head down. Okay? Plenty of ways things can go wrong in a place like this.”

The kid seemed to understand, and though he pouted a bit, he eventually nodded and hunkered down.

“Good. Let’s go.”

-

Saying Xixi has not had a good day is an understatement. Quite a big one, actually.

Their friends couldn’t do anything to help get those Not So Good People off their back, and the only thing they really could do was provide them with a borrowed ship (more of a shuttle, honestly, but who can complain) and directions to a supposedly safe star system to hide in until things cooled down.

Now, this alone wouldn’t be too bad. After all, they knew getting them off the hook was a tall order, even for some of the best people they knew. But, of course, since lady luck really has a bone to pick with them, their ship had to break down at the most inopportune time and strand them on this planet. 

Of course, they don’t have the credits to repair it, so their only choice is to find some work. Add on the fact that it’s rumored one of the people currently wanting their head is on this planet for business, and, well, you get a nice mixture of I am completely, utterly _fucked_.

The one good thing is that this planet is very crowded. The other side of this good thing is that it is very easy to run into people.

Xixi hadn’t even noticed they ran into someone until, uh oh, fallen flat on their ass, and, oh shit, is their hood off?

Getting back up and dusting themself off, they looked up with a “hey, asshole!” but the words died in their throat as they realized just who they had run into.

It was the Mandalorian. Not just any Mandalorian, _the_ Mandalorian. The one they had helped that kid find back on that dustbowl planet a week ago.

Their eyes widened nervously as they saw him tilt his helmet like he was looking for something - and, double shit, is their mask off?

Apparently it was, and apparently whatever he was looking for was there because in barely even a second he was lunging to grab them.

Xixi, somewhat used to people trying to grab them and drag them off to who knows where, dodged and _ran_.

-

Din really should have paid attention to where he was going, especially in a place like this. 

But, of course, things don’t always work out.

He heard an ‘oof’ as whoever he ran into fell on the ground, and, mouth already forming an apology, he fell silent as he saw just who he knocked over.

Their hood and mask had fallen off during the fall, revealing the person underneath. Pink skin, double pointed ears(?) and big black eyes. This was the bounty.

‘Well,’ he thought, ‘this might be the easiest one yet.’

-

He was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Din was quickly regretting his earlier thoughts as he chased the target - Xixi - through winding streets and alleys, shoving people out of the way and dodging multiple obstacles. It was clear this person was far more experienced navigating crowded city streets than him, but he had the advantage of the numerous weapons on his person.

If he could just get a clean shot… _there!_

He shot out his grappling line, managing to catch the target around the ankle. They fell, but quickly began trying to cut the line off with a vibroblade.

Din ran towards them, pulling out his blaster just as they managed to get free.

“I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold.”

The target frowned but stayed on the ground.

“Hey, that’s no way to treat an old acquaintance!”

Din huffed. The eyes…

“Aw, you don’t remember me?” they pouted, hand inching towards the small throwing blades holstered on their thigh.

“Should I?” he ground out, trying to figure out why they felt so familiar.

“Hm, I don’t know, maybe ask Wrinkles!” he hardly had time to register the blade flying towards his helmet, dodging and shooting his blaster at the bounty.

They rolled out of the way, narrowly missing a blaster bolt to the face and jumped up just as the Mandalorian sent a punch their way. They dodged once again, lashing out with a kick to his side and grabbing their own blaster. They fired several shots, successfully hitting him in the chest but the beskar protecting him from any damage.

-

“I bet Silah sent you, didn’t she? Oh, that _BITCH!_ ”

Silah was, unfortunately, one of the Not So Good People Xixi had managed to piss off. Though they really couldn’t tell you what they did this time, they were sure Silah had an extensive list.

They were _also_ sure she would make them pay.

Unfortunate, really, considering they had been friends once. But times change, and so do people. Friends don’t always stay friends. 

Oh well, she was always an asshole.

They were pleasantly surprised to see the Mandalorian again. Until they realized he had been sent to collect them for some bounty or other, and the pleasantness was quickly dried up.

Xixi sent a series of hits towards him after it was clear their blaster wasn’t gonna cut it, but he was just _too fast_. It was clear they were losing. They had to get out of here, and quick.

They took some of their throwing blades and tried to aim for soft spots, but he dodged most of them and the ones he didn’t just flicked uselessly off the beskar.

Fine, then, fighting dirty it is.

He sent another punch before activating some kind of _flamethrower_ and wow, if their life wasn’t in danger, they might have stopped just to stare. This man just keeps getting hotter. _(Hah, get it, cuz fire? Yeah, not the time for jokes, Xixi)_

As it was, though, they slid to the ground just in time to avoid the fire.

They used the momentum to roll, getting close enough to land their fist right in the soft spot on his side above his belt and below his under armor. Grinning, they released two taser clips that latched on through his clothing.

They dove away, pressing a button and the clips quickly released currents of incapacitating electricity.

-

Din shuddered, falling on the ground as his muscles seized. Like those stupid Jawas all over again.

He saw the target stand up through blurry vision, grinning.

“Say hi to Wrinkles for me.”

He promptly blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried my best with the fight scene, and spent like 15 minutes looking at din's armor to find a weak spot lol
> 
> thank you so much for reading!!!
> 
> (btw i changed the title to chapter 1, because i felt the flow was better that way)

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow me on tumblr at [more-like-peter-parkour](https://more-like-peter-parkour.tumblr.com/)  
> have a wonderful day/night and thank you for reading!


End file.
